


I have been there for the worst, I want to be there for the rest.

by youretheone



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 17:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1083871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youretheone/pseuds/youretheone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve just wants Danny to marry him. Danny just wants Steve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I have been there for the worst, I want to be there for the rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Dealing with Danny's marriage-phobia.

Danny had been dying, or at least he had thought so at the time. He was almost certain that he could actually feel the bullet pressing on his inner organs, even though Steve had assured him it had been a through and through.

Steve had pushed his palms against his the wound on his stomach so tight that Danny was unsure if it was the pressure or the new hole in his lung that was making it hard to breathe.

“Hang on there, Danno.” Steve breathed “You’re gonna be fine.”

“Yeah.” Danny was able to gasp out, he wasn’t sure off course, but it wasn’t exactly the time to argue. He wanted to reassure Steve though, to tell him that he loved him and to take care of Grace, and all that other stuff you were supposed to say when you were dying, but he didn’t want to. He knew Steve would just shush him anyway.

“Just, be strong for me, babe.” Steve continued, “Paramedics are on their way.”

Danny nodded then as he started wheezing, damn that hurt.

“You can’t die, cause you have to take care of your daughter.” Steve continued, it seemed like Danny didn’t have to say much after all. “And I’d like to marry you one day.”

Danny’s eyes shot up at him at that and Steve grinned at him “Can’t do that if you’re dead, you know.”

And on top of it all, Danny almost had a heart attack.

 

Xx

Danny watched Steve talking to Chin through the window of his hospital room. They were having a heated conversation about the shooter, and Danny was pretty sure Chin was telling Steve that the shooter still hadn’t been found.

Steve wiped a hand across his face and looked over at Danny, who just raised his eyebrows at him, once Steve realized that Danny had caught up on the conversation he gave Chin some orders and went back into the room.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping.” He said once he entered the room.

“Hello to you too.” Danny answered.

So Steve had pretty much proposed to him while he was dying, no big deal, that happened in movies all the time, he wasn’t going to bring it up.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asked as he sat down next to Danny.

To be honest, he could have been feeling better, but the injury hadn’t been as bad as he thought as the bullet had only nicked his lung. The surgery had went well, but they still wanted to keep him in the hospital for a while, he’d been there three days and was already bored.

“I’m alright.” Danny answered. “Hey, thanks again for bringing Grace over earlier.”

Steve smiled and reached for Danny’s hand as he started brushing his fingertips over Danny’s knuckles “No problem, she’s been asking to see you since she first found out you were in the hospital.”

“I’m glad you waited though, all the tubes and machines would have scared her.”

“She’s tough as nails, though.” Steve said with another smile “Listen….”

“Still haven’t found the shooter? Yeah, I kinda figured.” Danny said ,feeling a bit woozy.

“You okay?” Steve asked and Danny nodded.

“Yeah, just a little nauseous.” He answered, “It’s fine, really.”

Steve argued for a little bit about wanting to get a nurse or his doctor, but Danny just waved him off, it was not that bad.

“Look, babe, I’m sure you’ll catch him, everyone’s looking for him and he can’t leave the island, I have complete and utter faith in you.” He said with a grin.

Steve smiled “Well, I’m glad you’re so confident.” Steve said in a mock-like voice. “But that actually wasn’t what I was going to say.”

“Oh?”

“About what I said, after you got shot.”

_Oh_

“Yeah?” Danny asked, perfectly aware of hos unsure his voice sounded.

“Do you remember any of it?” Steve asked as he bit his lip and his eyebrows furrowed a bit, like he did when was nervous.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, so what do you think about that- about what I said, I mean?”

Danny didn’t want to answer, because he knew what his answer would be and he didn’t want to lie to Steve.

“I think, that you know what I’d think.” Danny said, his voice sad, but firm, and he hated himself for giving Steve that look on his face a few days after he’d almost died in his arms.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Danny asked, slightly surprised.

“Yes, maybe I’ll change your mind one day.”

 

Xx

After weeks of physical therapy, Steve constantly making sure Danny does all his exercises, eats and sleeps enough, and a mandatory _post-getting-shot-and-almost-dying_ visitto the psychologist, Danny was back to work and things were almost back to normal. The team had even caught the shooter and stopped a new gang from developing in the process, while Danny had been home recovering

“What a day!” Kono said as she grabbed her things and threw her bag over her shoulder “Bet you’ve missed all of this.”

“The job, yes, the constant need to make sure this guy-“ he said and patted Steve on the stomach “doesn’t go all navy-ninja and karate-chop our suspects, not so much.”

“You love me.” Steve said.

“Still can’t understand why.” Danny answered with that usual smirk of his.

“Aww, you guys are adorable.” Kono teased and both Chin and Cathrine laughed.

Danny still found it weird sometimes, having Catherine around after she and Steve and broken up. And he’d be lying to himself he said it didn’t make him insecure every now and then, if they were standing a little close or laughing over something Danny couldn’t understand, but he and Steve was in a good place right now and he had to believe Steve when he told him it was over between him and Cath.

“So what are you up to tonight?” Danny asked as they turned off the lights and exited the doors.

“Adam won’t be back until next week, so we are gonna go catch a movie.” Kono said and nodded over at Catherine “Girl’s night.”

“Promised Leilani we’d have dinner tonight.” Chin answered “She’s not too happy about all the late nights at work lately.”

“Alright then, have fun!” Steve said and waved them all off before he and Danny went over to the car.

“You wanna come over?” Steve asked as soon as he settled behind the wheel.

“If not, are you gonna be so nice to offer me a ride home in my own car?”

“Sure.” Steve said, completely ignoring Danny’s pouting over who got to ride the car. They both knew Danny was probably going to take him up on the offer and spend the night, ever since the shooting, Danny had practically been living there anyway.

Xx

Steve had made good on his promise, and what had started out as a quiet evening on the coach, with a beer in hand had turned into the two of them, half naked on the coach, hands all over each other and Danny protesting about the mark Steve was going to leave on his collar bone.

“No one will notice with the shirts you’re wearing.” Steve breathed as his tongue continued it’s journey from the collar bone to Danny’s neck, and then Danny was done protesting.

The steady pressure of Steve’s body against him, the familiar smell and noises, it was just what they both needed after a day like they had, especially since they hadn’t been really intimate since Danny had been hurt, not like this.

Danny was well aware of how protective Steve had been of him today, he had even objected a couple of times because Steve had jeopardized their plan at one point to keep Danny out of danger. Danny had told him that the job had to come first, even though he knew he would have felt the same way if their positions had been reversed.

Steve breathed hot against his neck before his lips crashed against Danny’s in a heated kiss, Danny taking the opportunity to bite Steve’s bottom lip.

It was five second away from Steve tearing off their pants, when he breathed “marry me” into Danny’s mouth.

Danny was still for a second and he was pretty sure Steve noticed, but instead of answering, he just kissed Steve again, he knew it wasn’t fair, but why did he had to do this now?

Steve didn’t push though, just kissed back.

Xx

 

It hadn’t been awkward until after that, Danny was sure everyone noticed that their relationship had changed slightly and it really freaked him out.

He hadn’t really thought about it before Steve had asked him, about what Steve might have wanted for the future. Well, it was obvious now that he wanted to marry, did he want kids as well? Danny already had a kid, he hadn’t really planned to have another one.

These thoughts were roaming through his head as he was on his way to update Steve on the current case they were working on, when he noticed Cathrine was already in the office.

Normally, he’d just knock on the door and go in and update the both of then, but he found himself stopping and watching them.

It looked like they had a serious conversation, but not about the case, cause they both smiled every once in a while.

Catherine touched Steve’s arm reassuringly when a voice suddenly whispered in Danny’s ear “Whatcha doing?”

Danny almost jumped out of his own skin “Damn it, Kono!” he said and Kono laughed as Catherine and Steve came out of the office.

“What are you guys doing?” Catherine said with a big smile.

“I don’t know, ask Danny.” Kono answered and Danny just glared at her, before holding up the file in his hand.

“I’ve got a lead.”

 

Xx

Things were finally getting back to normal, Danny and Steve were having lunch at the shrimp truck and discussing their plans for the weekend and Danny was finally able to push his insecurities about Catherine to the back of his mind.

“It’s not that spicy.” Steve commented as Danny made a face after trying Kamekona’s new recipe.

“No, it’s just disgusting.” Danny said and pushed the plate away “You don’t get a say, you eat bugs.”

“Only if I have to.” Steve answered “So about this weekend….”

“Yeah?” Danny asked “I have Grace.”

Steve nodded “I know, so do you guys wanna come over or do you want some alone time? Cause Cath’s got tickets to the game on Saturday.”

“Really?” Danny asked “Yeah, sure, I’m sure she’d like the game.”

Steve made a surprised face then and started picking his foot “Oh, no, I mean, she had an extra ticket and wondered if I wanted to go, but you know, I told her that you had Grace so…”

Danny opened his mouth and then closed it again before speaking “So? You have a date, basically?”

“Come on, don’t be like that, you said you it didn’t bother you that Cath and I stayed friends, if remember correctly, you encouraged it.”

“Yeah, well…” Danny answered, he couldn’t really argue with that, and he couldn’t exactly tell Steve that it was because he was worried that Steve and him wouldn’t stay friends if they ever broke up.

“You know, it’s fine really, Grace and I’ll just hang at my place.” Danny said “Maybe go to the beach.”

“You could come over on Sunday, Grace and I could go swimming.” Steve answered.

“Sure.” Danny said with a smile “Let me try some of that garlic shrimp, won’t you?”

 

Xx

That weekend Grace had wondered what Steve was up to, and when Danny had told her, she looked sad, but just nodded and continued eating her pancake.

“What’s wrong?” Danny asked.

“Nothing.” She answered.

“Oh, don’t give me that, you think I don’t know my own daughter? Spill.”

“They’re not getting back together, are they?”

“Who?” Danny asked “Steve and Catherine?”

Grace nodded, and Danny offered her a smile.

“I like you and Uncle Steve together.”

“So do I, don’t worry about it.” Was all Danny answered.

They didn’t go to Steve that Sunday.

 

Xx

Steve didn’t look too happy when Danny picked him up on Monday morning.

“Hey.” He said as Steve entered the car, but the other man didn’t answer, which made Danny’s stomach turn.

“How was the game?” he asked then and Steve turned to him.

“Where were you yesterday? I thought you were coming over.”

“Oh yeah, Grace wanted to go to the aquarium so we just left early and I dropped her off at Rachel’s afterward.” Danny answered, as they exited out onto the main road.

“You could have called me, I was looking forward to seeing her.”

“She was looking forward to seeing you too, which made it even worse when she asked me if you and Catherine were getting back together.” Danny answered bitterly, he hadn’t even been thinking before the words fell from his lips.

“What?” Steve asked “Hold on… Why would she think that, what did you say?”

Danny let out a laugh then “What did I say? I told her you were at the game.”

“Yeah, but.”

“She’s 13, she’s gonna speculate.” Danny answered “Anyway, she wondered if you wanted to come to her dance recital on Friday.”

“Off course I’ll come, if her dad wants me there.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Danny asked, raising his voice, this wasn’t like their normal bickering, this was a heated argument in process and he didn’t like it.

“You know what it’s supposed to mean, if the game had bothered you, you should have said so and not be an idiot about it later, and also, it’s not like you’ve made an effort to be around me lately.”

“So not only am I an idiot, but you’re also accusing me of not giving a shit about this relationsip?”

“Danny..:” Steve started, but Danny hit the brakes as they entered the parking lot, he had been so caught up in their argument that he’d been driving on autopilot, not even realizing they were at work before he stopped the car.

Danny nearly threw himself out of the car, ignoring Steve calling after him. This day was going to suck.

 

Xx

He had been right. Steve and him had been on edge the entire day, and Steve had been barking orders at the rest of the team, and taking even more risks out in the field than usual. Danny hated that about him. How he saw a situation and reacted before thinking, but he also loved it, which made it so hard.

“Trouble in paradise?” Chin had asked, and Danny had just mumbled something about not wanting to talk about it.

He was pretty sure Steve had told Catherine about what happened, and he hated that as well, seeing Catherine comfort him, and he hated himself for hating how she had tried to be nice to Danny as well, telling him things would work out.

What he hated the most was that it was Danny that drove them home. He didn’t want to drive Steve home, he wanted to come home with him.

So when he stopped the car outside of Steve’s house and Steve had thanked him for the ride he couldn’t help but reach out for Steve’s arm.

“I’m sorry, you were right, I have no tell in whether you should see a game with Catherine or not.”

Steve sighed “You should have told me that you didn’t like it.” He said and then lowered his voice “I should have known.”

“I’m an idiot.”

“No, you’re not.” Steve answered and then he was silent for a minute, before his whole expression changed and Danny was sure he was going to break up with him then.

“Marry me.” He said instead and Danny wanted to punch him.

“Marry me, Danny, I just want to marry you.” He said “I know you don’t like the idea of marriage, but I just want to be with you, Grace would love it, she could be a flower girl.” Steve said as he held Danny’s hand in his.

Danny wanted to cry.

“I don’t understand why you don’t want this, I really don’t, we could be together-“

“We are together.”

“You know what I mean, move in together, start a real family.”

Danny had always thought that they already were a real family. They’d never really discussed marriage, at least not marrying each other, and never kids. Danny was sure his eyes were filling with tears, cause his vision was blurry and his chest ached. He never wanted to get married again, he didn’t, and Steve knew that, why wouldn’t he just leave it alone?

“Why do you have to do this?” Danny asked, and he knew it was unfair of him to put this on Steve, but he also felt it was unfair of Steve to put this on him.

“You’re never going to say yes, are you?” Steve asked, and Danny was shaking his head without even thinking.

Steve sighed, and got out of the car, closed the door and went into the house.

Danny felt like he had ripped out his heart and taken it with him.

Xx

Danny called in sick the next day. Which was a real cowardly move and he was well aware of it. He called Grace, just catching her before school, they talked a minute before she had to head out.

It was actually over. Or at least he was pretty sure it was over. He and Steve had broken up. It felt a little unreal at the moment.

Kono stopped by for lunch with some soup, telling him that Steve was a mess and asking about what had happened. Danny told her, because he couldn’t tell his best friend cause his best friend hated him, and he needed someone to give him advice.

Kono told him that they could fix this, but Danny knew that she knew how big of a problem it could be. One person wanting to marry, the other, not so much.

As she left, Danny told her to look after Steve, and she smiled.

Xx

There was an angry knock on the door, and Danny knew who it would be before answering. Sure enough, Steve was standing outside, soaking wet. It wasn’t raining.

“You’re wet.” Danny said.

“I had to jump in the ocean.” Steve answered and they left it at that, as Danny stepped aside and let him in.

“So, are you here to get your stuff?” Danny asked, he’d put it all in box earlier, just in case.

“What?” Steve asked.

“Your stuff, do you want them back?”

This time, Steve was the one who looked like a lost puppy “Are you trying to hurt me?”

“No-“

“Cause it seems like it.”

“No.” Danny said again more firmly “I just don’t understand why you’re doing this, you know where I stand, and now I know where you stand, and it’s not the same place, Steve, how are we supposed to move past this?”

“So you just wanted to break up? To give up?”

Danny sighed “I can’t keep turning down you proposing, it’s too hard.”

“Then don’t.” Steve answered and Danny bit his lip.

“Stop it, please.”

“I’m not gonna give up.”

“I’m not gonna change my mind.”

“Fine, then we won’t get married, I would have happily spent the rest of my days with you, married or not, _I love you_ , if you just gave me some indication that that’s what you want to!”

“Off course I do love you, that’s why I want you to have that life with the kids and the wife and the surfing lessons, and the holidays!” Danny “But I’ve already had that, I love you, you don’t know how much I love you, but I can’t-“ he stopped there, his voice breaking as he realized he’d been shouting.

Steve went over to him and kissed him, Danny felt like new air had just filled his lungs, he wanted to hold onto Steve forever, but Steve let go way too soon.

“I hope you’ll feel better soon.” He said and kissed Danny’s forehead “I’ll see you later.” And then he left.

 

Xx

Danny had never loved anyone the way he loved Steve, when he married Rachel he thought the same thing, how could he ever love someone that much? How was it even possible? But then he’d fallen in love with Steve, and if it was possible, he loved him even more.

He wanted to tell Steve what he wanted to hear. That he wanted him forever. But it seemed so selfish at the same time.

“Danno?” Grace asked as Danny straightened his tie.

“Yeah, monkey?”

“What are you thinking about?” She asked.

“How excited I am to see you dance tonight.” He answered with a grin “You disappointed your mom couldn’t be here?”

She shook her head “It’s okay, Charlie was sick so, besides, Uncle Steve’s coming, right?”

“You know, work’s been pretty busy lately-“ Just as Grace’s expression fell, the doorbell rang and she ran over to open it.

“Uncle Steve!” She said happily and Danny turned his head to see Steve squeezing her in a big hug, it melted his heart.

“Hey Gracie, you ready for your performance?” he asked and she nodded. “You’re gonna do great!”

“Hey.” Danny said and Steve turned his attention from Grace to Danny.

“Hey there, you’re looking nice.” He said and Danny looked Steve up and down.

“So do you, nice tie.”

“Thanks, you gave it to me.” He said and Danny grinned.

“I know.”

Steve went over and kissed him on the temple, which was reassuring and scary both at the same time. Grace dragged both their hands and dragged them out the door, worried that she wouldn’t have time to change at the school if they didn’t leave soon.

Steve kept his hand on Danny’s thigh almost the entire way there.

“I have to go and change!” Grace said as soon as they pulled up.

“Hey-hey-hey!” Danny said and she stopped mid-run, and he walked up to her and kissed the top of her head “Good luck up there, you’re gonna do great!”

“Break a leg.” Steve said.

“Thanks.” She said back and then leaned up to her dad, Danny smiled as he wrapped her hands around her.

“You should marry him.” She whispered into his ear and Danny pulled back and looked at her in surprise, she just grinned at him before running off.

“You look more nervous than her.” Steve said as he walked over to Danny.

“I’m cool.” Danny answered and Steve laughed. “Hey, just out of curiosity, do you and her ever talk about us?”

“All the time.” Steve teased and Danny slapped him in the arm as they started walking towards the building “Like, about our relationship.”

Steve sighed then “Sometimes, and yes, before you make this even more awkward, she once asked me if we were gonna marry.”

“When?” Danny asked.

“The weekend before you got shot.” Steve said “She wanted to be a flower girl.”

_Oh_

“I love you, you know that, right?” Danny said as he gripped Steve’s arm, making them stop and Steve looked down at him.

“I know.”

Danny let out a breath of relief. “I just want you to be happy.”

Steve looked sad at that.

“But I’d prefer it if you were happy with me.”

Steve grinned then. “Yeah, me too, I missed you.”

Danny smiled “Yeah.” He said “Me too.”

                                                           

Xx

Steve cheered and clapped like he was at a damn football match when Grace appeared on stage with the rest of her dance squad.

Danny only grinned at him as he cheered along as well. After the audience had settled, Steve took Danny’s hand in his and kissed his knuckles once before settling their entwined fingers on his lap.

Danny only glanced over at the other man occasionally while watching Grace on stage. It was so weird, he thought they had been over for good, but Steve had fought for him. It was weird, being on that side of the relationship, the one that was being _fought for._

“She’s amazing.” Steve said “I didn’t know she was this good!” he said with clear amazement in his eyes, he looked so proud, he looked like a dad.

And that was weird too, cause Steve had never been obliged to take care of Grace, but he always had, even long before they started dating, and Grace loved him.

Steve grinned at him for a second and squeezed his hand, before turning back to the performance.

Steve had missed him, it hadn’t even been a week but Steve had missed him. Steve loved him.

With Rachel, it had been different, they had been young and not really sure what they were getting themselves into, and it turned out Rachel wasn’t cut out to be the wife of a cop.

Steve was his partner, in every way possible, he knew exactly how Danny bickered about pretty much everything. He knew all of Danny’s faults, he knew how he acted on the job and outside of it.

“This is perfect.” Steve said with a huge smile, as the girls finished their performance.

“Marry me.” Danny said, and Steve’s huge grin fell from his mouth and he turned his head to Danny just as the girls went front stage and bowed, and people stood up all around them to give a standing ovation.

“What?” Steve asked.

Danny smiled. “Marry me.”

“You can’t ask me to marry you, I’ve been proposing-“ Danny only kissed him, then pulled back with a huge grin on his face before standing up and applauding and cheering Grace’s name.

Steve stood up next to him, clapping like a robot with a baffled look on his face. It was horrible, but Danny thought it was hilarious.

“So, are you gonna give me an answer?” he asked as he kept his eyes on stage.

“Not sure.” Steve answered “Can I get back to you on that one?”

Danny looked at him then, brows furrowed and clearly annoyed as Steve grinned like an idiot and winked at him. “I knew I could change your mind.”


End file.
